The radioactive performance of ‘Radium Girls’: Review and Photo Gallery
On November 4-8, the Highlands High School (HHS) Theater Department put together another wonderful production. This year’s fall play, Radium Girls, which was originally by D.W. Gregory, was all-around amazing!
In 1926, radium was a miracle cure, international celebrity Madame Curie watched the latest rage—until the girls who painted them began to fall ill with a mysterious disease.
Inspired by a true story, Radium Girls follows the story of Grace Fryer, a dial painter, fighting in court versus her ex-employer, Arthur Roeder.
Fryer, played by senior Grace Shuley, is one of the three main radium victims in the show. Throughout her case against Roeder in court, she also has a few ringers with her friends and family.
Tom Krieder, played by Sophomore Jameson Zoller, is Fryer’s love interest. In multiple accounts, he attempts to stop Fryer from fighting in court in fear of her losing the case. The pressure on Fryer wasn’t lifted when an offer for 15 grand had appeared from the Radium Corporation.
The actors put a lot of effort into their characters, especially junior Sam Hopper. Hopper played the part of Arthur Roeder, the antagonist of the show. Not only did he make the character idealistic, but he also portrayed his intense determination to a tee. Hopper’s interpretation of Roeder was amazing, and a very fitting casting from the director.
Director Jason Burgess and the students put in amazing work with this show, he believes the students had given a phenomenal performance.
“I am so proud of the students, what makes me most proud of them is the dedication that they have put towards the product, and making it as good as they can.”
Overall, the HHS students did a great job in the acting and stage performance part of the show. The stage management and crew members also did a phenomenal job putting the lighting and sound designs together.
These effects really brought the show to life. From the camera’s flashing in news reports to the argument for the spotlight, the best scenes in which this is shown are the scenes with the two news reporters, Senior Aiden Greenwell (Jack Youngwood) and Junior Jonah Listerman (Nancey Jane Harlan) made the scene worthwhile. The scene not only felt realistic but was also very comedic as well.
These effects may have been great, but so was the intelligent costume design. The show takes place in the early 1900s, and the costumes gave it away with how well they fit the time period. The makeup was also amazing, as it fits perfectly with the ages. The play runs from tonight, November 4 up until November 8, so make sure not to miss out on this radioactive performance!
